La Brugeoise cars (Buenos Aires Underground)
| La Brugeoise cars | |
|---|---|
La Brugeoise train at Plaza de Mayo station.
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| In service | 1913 – 2013 |
| Manufacturer | La Brugeoise, et Nicaise, et Delcuve |
| Constructed | 1911–1944 |
| Refurbishment | 1927 |
| Number built | 125 cars |
| Number in service | 100 cars |
| Number preserved | 1 car (number 10) |
| Number scrapped | 21 cars (By 2012) |
| Formation | Maximum 6 cars per trainset (limited by platform length) |
| Capacity | 42 sitting + 120 standing |
| Operator(s) | Metrovías |
| Depot(s) | Polvorín workshop |
| Line(s) served | Line A |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Wood |
| Car length | 15,800 mm (51 ft 10 in) |
| Width | 2,600 mm (8 ft 6 in) |
| Height | 3,380 mm (11 ft 1 in) |
| Doors | 3 pairs per side |
| Maximum speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
| Weight | 27 tonnes (27 long tons; 30 short tons) per car |
| Traction system | Two "U 109" 115 hp (86 kW) traction motors (one per bogie) |
| Electric system(s) | 550/1,100 V DC |
| Current collection method | Overhead; one double-arm pantograph per car |
| Bogies | Two per car |
| Braking system(s) | Air brakes (regular and emergency purposes); manual mechanical brakes (emergency only) |
| Safety system(s) | Mechanical ATS; overhead lever (one per cab) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
La Brugeoise cars were Buenos Aires Underground (Subte) Line A since its inauguration in 1913 till 2013 when replaced by new Chinese stock. They were built by Belgian manufacturer La Brugeoise, et Nicaise, et Delcuve between 1911 and 1919 for the Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company's (Compañía de Tranvías Anglo-Argentina, CTAA in Spanish) first underground line. They were originally designed to run both as metro and tramway cars, but they were refurbished in 1927 for underground use only. They were the oldest Underground rolling stock in commercial service in the world as well as a tourist attraction and part of Buenos Aires cultural heritage.
The La Brugeoise trains were designed to run using either 550 VDC - as surface tramways did until the system was eradicated in 1962- or 1,100 VDC in the tunnel. Traction is controlled through a 9-power run (originally 11-power run) handle, known as the "controller", the motorman spins anticlockwise to increase acceleration. Its loose end is fitted with the dead man's switch, a button-shaped mechanism that allows the motorman to enable or cut current flow to the motors in normal conditions. This system was also meant to serve as an emergency train stop: if anything should prevent the motorman from keeping this button pressed, the train will automatically stop accelerating.
In normal driving conditions, braking is entirely achieved by means of a traditional air brake system. Because of their long life-span, La Brugeoise trains use custom-made brake shoes made of hard wood embedded with creosote for additional resistance. Friction between the steel wheels and the brake shoes releases a peculiar fragrance Line A is known for among porteños (as Buenos Aires inhabitants call themselves) and tourists. The emergency brakes operation is entirely mechanical: the motorman applies them by spinning a wheel located on the right-hand side of the driving cab, tensing up a chain connected to the brake mechanism. If emergency brakes are engaged for more than 10 seconds, current flow to traction motors and auxiliary equipment is interrupted by the main fuse.
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Wikipedia